Sears Holdings today announced the staged rollout of Apple iPads and Apple iPod touch devices starting with nearly 450 stores nationwide as part of a strategic plan to enhance the relationship between customers and associates while improving the overall in-store shopping experience.
These devices and their applications will immediately help associates improve customer service and create a more personalized shopping experience. Associates will be able to help customers check available inventory, order products online, access product information and videos, and utilize enhanced purchasing tools to buy products they desire – without ever leaving the store aisle.
“Leveraging wireless access and mobile technology and putting new tools into the hands of our associates and customers is another step toward becoming a truly integrated retailer,” said Deidra Merriwether, senior vice president and president, Retail Services, in a statement. “Sears Holdings is committed to not only innovating at the product level but also to utilizing these types of technologies to continue to improve the shopping experience for our customers in the store, online and at home.”
This rollout is being significantly supported by the company’s Information and Technology Group. “We are upgrading the entire network and technology infrastructures, including enhanced wireless coverage, to provide our customers with free Wi-Fi access,” said Keith Sherwell, senior vice president and chief information officer, in a statement. “This will provide our associates with innovative tools and applications to support our customers at the highest levels of personal engagement while also offering customers a uniquely rich, integrated retail experience.”
By offering free Wi-Fi at various locations customers can use their iPhones or Web-enabled devices to surf the Web, shop online at sears.com or compare prices before they purchase to make sure they are getting the best price on the products they want.
The devices will also improve associate training, task management and productivity by helping associates become more knowledgeable and enabling them to assist customers faster and easier than ever before. “This isn’t only about cool new devices,” added Merriwether, “this is about a better overall in-store shopping experience for our customers as we strive to put them first in everything we do.”
Sears also plans to continue to add new applications and features to the devices throughout the year to make shopping easier and more exciting for its customers as they plan their holiday shopping.
Source: Sears Holdings Corporation
[Attribution: AllThingsD. Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Arline M.” for the heads up.]
That seems pretty forward-thinking and cool for such an “old-school” outlet. Good for them, and their IT dept.
“Old school” Sears was bought out by K-Mart, which was a different type of old school. Sears has not been the same since, and I won’t buy their tools anymore.
I didn’t know that, kingmel. Very interesting.
There goes Apple’s “cool” factor because nothing says cool like Sears.
Kenmore refrigerators can be very cool.
Hey, Sears sold Macs (or at least tried to), back in the 90s when Apple was floundering.
They are USERS of apple products not MAKERS of apple products. Apple products are “cool” because of Apple not SEARS.
The software side of Sears.
Plus 1… Nice!
Ron Johnson just started at JC Penney, I believe, so perhaps Sears figured that Ron would equip his staff with iPads and iPod Touches, a la the Apple Store.
Shopper: “Do you have those Touchskin jeans in husky size?”
Sales associate: “Let me see. Yes, we have two pairs in the back. Would you like me to get them for you? Also, we have them in red. And can I recommend a Craftsman tool for you? Or a Telegames cartridge for your home video game system?”
My fail. I meant “Toughskin” jeans.
I don’t know, touchskin jeans on the woman’s wear side of the store might be fun.
@allthe geo
It seems this line of comment is kind of touch-and-go!
I miss the good old days, when Best Buy used to have a “fake” external website for access from their stores, so when customers said “I saw this on your site for $100” the associates could bring up the website and point out that it was actually $130 (or whatever).
Sears is being way, way too customer-friendly.
I remember Sears’ half-baked efforts at selling the clamshell iBooks. It’s good to see that they are now believers.
I passed through a Sears yesterday (on my way to an Apple Store). Gawd it was awful, a real sleaze pit. Cheap, Chinese trash products, the displays a mess, the shelves disorganized, etc etc. The place wreaked of poor management and leadership. Selling them iPads will be great for Apple, but from the looks of things nothing will help Sears, a real loser of a company.
It’s not suppose to look like that till December 26th! 😉
I would cut Sears a little slack. They seem to be trying to turn a big ship around. It would be unfortunate if they didn’t update the individual stores as part of the process. Check out the same store in 6 to 8 months.
I have had decent experiences in the appliance and tool sections. And our store is neat and clean. I agree, that they need to improve their stores, but they are more convenient for me than Wal-Mart or Home Depot for some purchases. I think their appliance department is superior to that of Home Depot. They need to continue to increase the quality of their staff…some are very good, some need some training. I think their embrace of wi-fi and higher technology is a promising sign.
This is a great indicator that Apple is gaining some serious ground! 🙂
It use to be that when a big store agreed to sell Apple products it was a boost to Apple’s prestige, now it’s the other way around.
Jubei, you should have said “Apple is gaining some Sears ground!” 😉
Your right! “Apple is gaining some Sears ground!”
Very very Impressive !!!!
Well done , Sears !!!!
They sell Android tablets at Sears. Why didn’t they go with one of the Android tablets that they sell? They probably could have gotten a huge discount on some no-name brand Android tablet. I’m very upset. If I was a Droidtard and worked for Sears, I’d quit. I’d let them know that Droidtards need love, too. How are those poor employees going to see Flash ad banners without Flash? Didn’t Sears realize that the iPad is only for consumption and can’t do any real work in a business setting. Maybe it’s just a stopgap strategy until Windows 8 tablets are ready.
It makes sense. Have you seen the tablets most retailers use for inventory? Most of them look like DOS running on a playbook.
I’m interested in the cool ipad holsters that house the ipad that each employee carries. Will Sears market the cases, or can you provide the name of the manufacturer. They are perfect for hands free support of the ipad for employees walking a sales floor. I would like to use it for my personal use.
I am a lawn and garden and fitness sales associate with 3 years of experience at my Sears store. The iPad initiative is full of benefits to the employees, customers, and the company with regards to ease of checking product information and specifications. For large purchases with the younger crowd familiar with the technology, it is very helpful with the big ticket items that require an in depth knowledge by the sales associate and the consumer looking for the empowerment that comes with information. However, my store has recently required all associates in my area as well as appliances and electronics to use these iPads with the check out process for every single transaction. The applications that we use to search for a product, add it to the cart, enter in customer information, and generate a sales code (which is needed for the next required step of going to a regular cash register and basically start from what would have been the beginning of the ringing process whenever a customer is not using a Sears card/Giftcard/SYWR points) is prone to freezing and slow loading times. While I am a believer that bugs will get worked out by the supplier of the programs , a timely checkout experience for customers will require a serious investment in improving the current speed of the wireless services within the stores that have had wi-fi access for over 2 years. Additionally, until the iPads enable sales associates to take all major forms of credit cards ( checks and cash will prove a major hurdle ) , the customer will be forced to wait for essentially 2 check out processes since after each item has been manually entered into the search bar and then selected after the search loads, the item must be confirmed to the cart and the means of supply ( take with/order/pick up) chosen before 3 more required pages are loaded and completed . At that point, the sales associate must either manually enter in the sears card information (#, exp date, and security code), or take the customer to the nearest available register and press 3 keys before entering in the order confirmation #. After entering in the number, the sales associate must type in their associate number and repeat 4 of the final steps before selecting the payment form of the customer. The customer then pays how they choose, receive change if nessecary, sign if needed, select wether they want their receipt printed and emailed or emailed only ( for shop your way rewards bonus members) and then revive their receipt. When it is a $2 bottle of oil that a customer is after, it takes approximately 25 seconds to ring up the customer the “old way” (entirely through the register), but with the iPad requirement , ( assuming the iPad does not freeze and that the loading time is optimal) it adds on at Lear another 2 minutes. Sears stores are thought by many customers to be short staffed in the non apparel departments already, but by adding extra time to the check out process, the benefits of “improving the customer experience” are actually reversed. I’m the past few shifts my department and the other departments that have been given the iPad for every single sale requirement, have experienced significant backlash from the customers who now have to wait much longer to pay for basic items, and the folks who could benefit from the iPad sale are forced to wait in line foruch longer before being helped. Additionally, the senior citizens demographic ( a major portion of our loyal customer base) have expressed confusion and apprehension when entering in their sears credit card information on such a mobile and new device. And while many of thematic not be in as much as a hurry as the working demographics, they have asked us why the process now takes so much longer than it ever has in all their loyal years or buying from Sears. In summary, Sear’s iPad initiative is innovative and can bring many benefits to the stakeholders, but more investment in de bugging, wifi improvement, and multiple credit card processesing capabilities are needed as soon as possible to generate the better customer experience the company is looking for. Additionally, when it comes to some of the smaller items like the 1.99$ bottles of oil and fuel stabilizers that the local WW2 Veteran is picking up with exact change and planning on going home right aeay to mow their lawn , the company must show a little trust in the judgement of their employees, and let them ring it up the way they have for as long as we can remember.